The present invention generally concerns an implement for making marks on a surface or material or for applying a medium to a surface or material, such as a writing implement, drawing implement, marking implement or applicator implement. For the sake of convenience hereinafter such an implement will be referred to broadly as an applicator implement.
A typical applicator implement comprises a body portion into which is fitted an applicator insert. The applicator insert may comprise an applicator member having capillary spaces for the feed of the medium such as ink to be applied. The applicator insert further includes a holder comprising a tubular sleeve consisting of a front end portion of an internal cross-section which is suited to the applicator member. The applicator member projects out of the front end of the sleeve with an applicator portion, while at the rear end it has a feed portion for feeding a medium to be applied from the body of the applicator implement to the applicator portion of the applicator member.
The applicator member may be in various configurations comprising for example sintered porous material with a capillary action, laminar fiber material which is consolidated by means of a suitable process, extruded material with a capillary action, and the like. An applicator member of that kind may be used in particular as what is known as a fine liner with a diameter of around 0.5 mm. When the applicator member is in the form of a fine liner of that kind, the front edge of the front end portion of the sleeve is rolled inwardly towards the applicator member which is disposed therein in order to produce a mechanically fixed connection between the sleeve of the holder and the applicator member accommodated therewithin. However that rolled-in configuration at the front edge of the sleeve of the holder results in the applicator member suffering from a notch effect which can have an adverse effect on the flow of ink or like medium through the capillary spaces of the applicator member, for the reason that the front edge of the sleeve is only at a relatively small spacing from the tip of the applicator portion of the applicator member, where it projects from the sleeve. Particularly in the case of fine liner implements of a diameter of around 0.5 mm, when there is a rigid connection between the applicator member and the sleeve, the tip of the applicator member, on the free end of the applicator portion thereof where it projects out of the sleeve, often suffers from bending or snapping off so that the implement is then rendered useless. Likewise, when the writing member is rigidly fixed to the sleeve of the holder, if the implement is not used precisely in the proper fashion, the applicator member of the implement may suffer from the tip thereof becoming splayed or fanned out, which once again makes the implement useless. If on the other hand the mechanical fixing effect between the sleeve of the holder and the applicator member is not sufficiently firm, it may happen that, when an application pressure is applied to the implement, the applicator member may be pressed back into the sleeve, once again with the result that the implement is rendered useless.